The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to protecting against shorts in a memory system of an information handling system.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
IHSs typically include memory systems having memory devices such as, for example, Double Data Rate fourth generation (DDR4) Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM) memory devices, that connect to memory device connectors (e.g., DDR4 DIMM connectors) in the IHS that are coupled to the processing system and that include instructions and/or other data for providing the functionality of the IHS. Previous generation memory system (e.g., those utilizing DDR3 DIMM memory devices) did not implement pins on the memory device connector that were connected to high voltage rails (e.g., the 12V rail) in the IHS power supply system, and thus the improper seating of the memory devices in the memory device connector had the ability to cause the memory system to work improperly, but was not a threat to cause any failures to the memory device, IHS, or other IHS components. However, DDR4 DIMM memory devices utilize pins on the DDR4 DIMM memory device connector that are connected to high voltage rails (e.g., the 12V rail) in the IHS power supply system. It is possible to have a DDR4 DIMM memory device improperly seated in a DDR4 DIMM memory device connector when, for example, the memory system is built or assembled improperly, when the DDR4 DIMM memory device dislodges from the DDR4 DIMM memory device connector during shipping, when the DDR4 DIMM memory device is added or replaced in the memory system by a user, and/or in a variety of other scenarios known in the art. Such improper seating of DDR4 DIMM memory devices in DDR4 DIMM memory device connectors raises the possibility of introducing a short across the pin in the DDR4 DIMM memory device connector that is connected to the high voltage rail (e.g., the 12V rail) and adjacent pins in the DDR4 DIMM memory device connector (e.g., the pins connected to the VREF rail and/or ground in DDR4 DIMM memory systems.) The introduction of a short including a pin in the memory device connector that is connected to the high voltage rail can be detrimental to the memory device, the motherboard, the chipset, and/or a variety of other IHS components in the IHS.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved memory system.